


Dealing With Dejection The Evans Way

by bigpappamg



Category: High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4018630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigpappamg/pseuds/bigpappamg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evans’ didn’t know how to deal with things they couldn’t get – solely because Evans’ weren’t used to not getting what they wanted.<br/>Unfortunately for him, Chad’s sexuality was not as easily changed as his wardrobe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Boy Meets The Thing

**Author's Note:**

> scientists confirm chyan is the factor that causes flowers to grow and the sun to rise every morning and the reason i went back to writing fanfiction  
> they're also why i've made it some sort of ritual to re-watch hsm 2 enough times to be able to pinpoint the second disney channel involuntarily created it's first canonically gay characters  
> if laziness doesn't come in the way of my creativity, this shall be a multi-chapter thing  
> hopefully you'll enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it <3

He’s had it for years, now. It had been there for so long, Ryan had kind of gotten used to feeling it in silence – which, to his benefit, was an easy task for an actor. It had never been anything loud, and obnoxious, the type of thing people describe it to be, or the type of thing Troy seemed to ooze when he looked at Gabriella or whatever; frankly, though it was cute to look at from a distance when it started, the dynamic got old after awhile and exaggerated amounts of cheese weren’t something he really wanted in a relationship, thank you very much.

The truth is, Ryan had never even considered that the thing he felt whenever he’d catch a glimpse of Chad laughing with a spinning ball on top of a quite flawlessly long finger, if he’d say so himself, to be, you know, love.

And love was something too alien for him, anyway, for him to be able to recognize the symptoms and apply them properly. He’s had it for years, yes, but it had always been so carefully tucked in – he’d never had to be afraid of it spurting out of his mouth at random and ruining his now well built relationship – friendship, calm down – with the jock. Not love, by the way, just… The thing.

He couldn’t quite call it a crush because, let’s be real, crushes don’t last five years. But he could do to live in denial for a little longer.

Problem is, now that he was here, lights off, lying on three bright blankets at three in the morning and smiling widely at the short video Chad had sent him hours ago of his sisters dancing around him while he pretended to be annoyed – Ryan kind of wondered.

And that was a scary thing, to him – wondering. Wondering would lead him to a conclusion he sort of already acknowledged the existence of, but being in love with Chad was something far greater than he was ready to admit. The question wasn’t a big deal, he could handle questions. Just not the answer. Because he couldn’t _have_ Chad and Evans’ didn’t know how to deal with things they couldn’t get – solely because Evans’ weren’t used to not getting what they wanted.

Unfortunately for him, Chad’s sexuality was not as easily changed as his wardrobe.

**the guidebook to dealing with dejection: the evans way**

**chapter 1.0**

Basketball is a blessing.

He’s never gonna tell Sharpay he thinks so, since she’s likely paint his favorite hat orange or something horrid like that, but basketball is seriously inspiring when you look at it from the right angle.

And his view from the bleachers is definitely the right angle.

Now, he doesn’t care much for the actual game, he’ll admit to that – but the manner with which loose t-shirts bounce and muscles glisten is so close to Heaven he might actually become religious. And Chad is insane, he thinks, chewing on his lower lip with pained eyes, Chad is so insane and so absolutely, gorgeously, ridiculously and maddeningly unfair.

He shakes his head to no one in particular except his thoughts and sips on iced tea, offering the smallest, most elegant nod he can muster while his heart does jazz squares, when Chad waves his way.

So unfair, that boy.

“You’re pathetic.” A high-pitched voice comes from beside him and Ryan doesn’t even look up to see who it is – as if that’s necessary.

“Are you actually wearing heels in here? Careful, sis, you might slip.” He tells her, ‘cause we don’t want that now, do we.

The blonde responds with an almost soft rolling of brown eyes, taking a seat next to him and crossing one leg over the other – clearly, one of Sharpay’s many hobbies include dressing-to-humiliate-everyone-else _and_ looking out of place, which are kind of correlated. Lucky for him, he’s the best dressed male in the city, probably (he is), and many of her greatest outfits are due to his impeccable taste.

Ah, the irreplaceable “sidekick”.

“If I slip, it’ll be on that pool of drool you left on the floor. Grab the chin, brother mine, someone’ll step on it.”

“I’ve absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“Why are you even present in an area where basketball is being played? Did Ms. Darbus finally realize Troy’s charm can’t cover up the fact that he can’t act to save his life and send you to try and kill him during practice? Because if so, I’ll tell you now, you might wanna wait until his teammates leave the court.”

“However brilliant of an idea that is, Ms. Darbus hasn’t seen the light yet. Blame it on the awful glasses, really. I’m here to support Zeke.”

Ryan sends her a pointed enough look to make her elaborate, because, wait, what the hell?

“I’m here to demonstrate my many talents include being a supportive, selfless human being.” She proceeds, as if that explains anything at all. “Zeke likes that sort of stuff, apparently, go figure.”

“I need you to rewind.”

“Where to?”

“Back to when you realized Zeke, you know, _exists_?” He wonders briefly if the stage lights had been affecting her brain instead of Ms. Darbus’ poor sighted eyes, because, yeah, Troy’s a mediocre singer, at best and can’t dance for shit and _good God_ , the wholesome act is boring, but last time he checked, Sharpay still jumped at the mere opportunity to pair up with him. Poor Gabriella could be having a stroke on stage, the first thing she’d do would be to ask Troy if this means he’s available.

(His sister is a great person, don’t get him wrong, just – a little too selfish. A little.)

“I’ve always known Zeke exists.”

He just looks at her.

The blonde sighs and does the trademark eye rolling thing, as if this conversation’s the hardest thing she’s ever had to go through. He doesn’t take it personally – that’s how she reacts to pretty much anyone but her talking -- and raises a light eyebrow to signal that she continues.

“I like Zeke. I’ve always thought he was attractive, in a virtuous, morally type of way, but he was never my type –“

“Basketball player?”

“—And I had other things to think about back then, anyway.”

_Like slipping on ten thousand dollar heels and falling on Troy’s dick_ , he thinks.

He doesn’t _say_ it, of course. That’s uncalled for.

True, but, you know. Uncalled for.

“And you’ve decided you want Zeke now, because…”

“Because it’s the last year, Ryan,” she tells him as if he’s stupid, which he’s used to from people too ignorant to understand the definition of dyslexia, (thought she doesn’t mean it this way; again, it’s just Sharpay’s way of speaking. He should point out again she really is a great person. Self centered, sure, but great person.) and that slow reading doesn’t equal idiocy. If anything, he’s smarter than all of these dumbasses anyway so really, all’s well that ends well.“I’m going to Julliard and he’ll be in some team wherever and I won’t be able to invest. I don’t want him to graduate and get over me or something. Besides, he was always cute but puberty did him _wonders_. And he bakes.”

Did he say self centered? Remind him to redeem himself for that later.

Being Ryan and Sharpay’s twin and a perhaps not so selfish person, but an Evans nonetheless, he only sighs and asks her: “What’s the plan, then?”

The smile she gives him puts Cheshire cat to shame and he briefly wonders if she’d audition for the part if they gave her the chance. He doesn’t have to say what the answer to that question turns out to be.

“ _That_ I’ll tell you later. Right now, straight jock boyfriend’s on his way over here and I, as the sane twin, have no desire to smell his natural ‘manly man fragrance’. Toodles.” Sharpay leaves him before he can protest, waving at Zeke, who blushes like he’s 15 all over again and Ryan’s too busy doing the same at Chad to consider it disgusting.

“Hey, Sparkles.” Mr. Tall, Dark And Handsome greets him, all lazy smiles and wet towel around his neck.

What an asshole.

“The creativity in your nicknames are almost as good as the titles on your t-shirts.” Ryan tells him when he’s gathered the tiny amount of dignity he so doesn’t have.

“Ouch,” Chad touches his – rock hard, goddammit, is there no air-conditioning in this fucking place – chest, feigning hurt. “Your sarcasm wounds my heart.”

“Taylor teach you a new word today?” He’s not bitter, by the way. In case it seemed that way there.

“Nope, that one came straight out of my own amazing head.” The ball player replies, raising his chin and smiling in a way that leaves Ryan slightly breathless. “Whatcha doing with us mere mortals? Thought you Evans’ were afraid of swear or somethin’.”

“Rehearsal ended early.” – They had no rehearsal today, he could have just as easily been at home, re-watching Wicked on his bathtub, but he’s not gonna tell _Chad_ that and basically admit he’d rather watch his fine ass for an hour, instead, because that’d be ridiculous, now, wouldn’t it.

“Man, how will you live?”

He rolls his eyes – perhaps he _is_ more like Sharpay than he allows himself to think, after all – and playfully, very much on purpose, punches Chad’s defined bicep, who doesn’t even flinch. And _amen_.

“Not for long if you don’t sit a little further – there’s got to be some medical issue in sweating that much.” Though he’s being a bitch for the sake of it, really, Chad could be sweating on his mouth for all he cares. He’ll lick that shit off like it’s Christmas day and Chad’s a gigantic popsicle.

He’ll have to remember to write that on his list later. A guy can dream, right?

“Oh, this bother you?” Chad laughs and literally, no joke, no warning, even, have mercy, wraps a strong arm around Ryan, smashing him against his side, which not only leaves Ryan’s mouth like, two inches from Chad’s neck – this is the type of shit Michelangelo died for – but leaves _Chad’s_ mouth two inches away from Ryan’s ear, who’s pretty sure he’s functioning on leftover oxygen right now.

If it isn’t obvious, Chad’s a tough guy to be in love with.

“I’d say yes, but I think my ability to smell is gone.” It isn’t and Chad smells good as hell, fuck you, Shar, and how does a person’s sweat smell good, is the dude human? Is there any instruction book out there that says love affects your ability to properly judge body fluids and how to _deal_ with that? He’ll end up _writing_ that book, if he comes out of this alive.

“Come on, it ain’t so bad.” He says, sniffing under his arm once and scrunching up his nose – adorably, why, almighty Lord. “Aight, maybe a little.”

“I can no longer hear for I am dead.” That bit is true. He is. And running naked in Heaven.

“I’ll revive you,” Chad tells him in that chuckle-talk way and tickles him, _tickles_ him, in the middle of a basketball arena and if Ryan wasn’t one hundred percent sure the man is straight, he’d be having doubts right now.

Hope is a bitch, honestly.

“Stop!” He attempts, pushing Chad away while trying to hold his belly, ‘cause he’s _really_ starting to have trouble breathing now and Chad releases him, laughing just as hard as Ryan when being tickled, and has he mentioned _adorable_?

Sharpay was right, he _is_ pathetic.

“Chad!” A voice calls from underneath them, breaking that magical moment and Ryan wipes the laughter-induced tears enough to see Troy waving up at them – them being Chad; even though Troy doesn’t necessarily hate Ryan’s guts now, he still doesn’t seem to enjoy the fact that his girlfriend and best friend seem to love him so much. Ryan thinks it’s hilarious, half because the idea of Troy seeing him as a threat to his relationship with Gabriella The Female Montez borders on hysterical and half ‘cause it’s nice having him taste a little bit of the favoritism he’s forced to deal with when it comes to Sharpay whenever he’s in the picture. Although he’s not bitter. Just a little vindictive, perhaps but he _is_ an Evans, so you can’t blame him. Aside from that, Troy’s a decent guy in Ryan’s mind. Not the brightest and he really has to lay off on the spray tanning but he’s alright. Troy can keep his school play leads, Ryan’ll settle for Broadway.

“What’s up?”

“Mom’s asking if you want a ride? You coming?”

Chad glances his way as if to imply he’s supposed to say something about the offer, like: no _, don’t go, Chad, come with me to my astonishing mansion and let us make love ‘till sun rises_ , which he’d totally say if Chad was into dick and he isn’t.

Alright, Ryan would never say that, but it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t do it.

“You wanna do something after this?” Chad says once he stops waiting for Ryan to pick up on his mental vibrations or whatever (he’s not there yet, thank God, that’d be scary if love did that. He doesn’t think he can stand seeing Chad’s fantasies about naked women without flinging himself off of the Empire State.) “You’ll have to wait for me to shower real quick and stuff, but after that, we can eat or something. You don’t seem like you have anything better to do, anyway.” He says, jokingly.

Ryan considers it, _genuinely_ thinks about it and it’s sad how his heart is doing acrobatics at the mere suggestion of Chad wanting to spend time with him, especially considering that’s nothing new, nothing strange and nothing out of the ordinary for friends. Still, Chad’s straight and Ryan’s in love… Eating a burger and having him get giggles out of Ryan through the rest of the day is awesome, just really painful at night when he’s by himself.

So despite wanting to go, Ryan says:

“Yeah, there’s this really nice place not far from my house, you can chill there afterwards if you want.”

To which Chad smiles brightly and says “okay, cool”, promptly dismissing a frustrated Troy who shrugs as if he’s indifferent, but walking out with an expression that very much proves it otherwise.

He agrees to wait for Chad to shower, appreciating the idea of Chad and water and nakedness and deliberately avoiding the inevitable fact that he’s gonna hate himself for his lack of self-control when night comes.

That’s kind of fine, though. He guesses Chad’s just worth it.

 

 

 

 


	2. I'd Rather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan swore if he didn’t win an award for his outstanding dancing skills, he was sure to get an Oscar – there was absolutely no role on this Earth he couldn’t play, when the hardest was pretending not to love Chad Danforth and he excelled at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooh, the angst shows itself. there's little interaction between chad and ryan and basically none that imply they're gonna happen but slow build is what makes the world go 'round and chyan will always find it's way to each other.  
> features teenage games, a lot of sex, drinking and an angsting ryan who got lost on his way to happily ever after. enjoy!

He might have yelled out Chad’s name while Cute Guy from drama club was doing him.

He’s not exactly proud or anything – the uncomfortable pause and sudden silence in the room is not on top of “best moments of Ryan Evans’ existence” list. Doesn’t come second, either, really. But then again, he should have sort of seen it coming; picking out potential bed notches who kind of really resemble Chad was a bad idea from the start. So was saying yes to spending the rest of the evening with him and suggesting he give him a ride home in the morning, but Ryan had never claimed to be the wisest person. Point being, Cute Guy from drama club was kind enough to swear he wouldn’t tell anyone about this awkward little episode in their lives (once he’d gathered himself enough to talk in the midst of all that blushing and attempting to reassure Ryan it was okay while still being, you know, _inside_ him), though Ryan knew the kid wasn’t dumb enough to bad mouth someone who could easily have his house burnt down or whatever if he wanted. Not that he would do that, of course. Perhaps the wardrobe, cute eyes and dimpled smiles couldn’t cover the fact Cute Guy dressed like a 90’s chick-flick nerd (but he was sort of adorable and with the exception of the hair and… Most things, he was the closest to Chad Ryan was getting, so he could squint and pretend and that’s not a bad thing, right? Pathetic, a little, sure but he wasn’t hurting anyone so screw it. Just himself, maybe. Whatever.) but not something big like a house. It was nice to plant a seed of doubt though. Being Queen Bee’s brother had it’s perks.

It didn’t change the fact that the weird atmosphere was there when he saw Cute Guy (whose name is Ted, apparently) on Monday, but Ryan could deal. Rehearsal made sure to drown his other concerns, as it never failed to do and seeing his choreography performed way more beautifully than on the first practices (Jason could have him throwing away every minute spent in extensive yoga, honestly) was enough to have his day made. That and having Chad bring him small strawberry desserts after everyone was done gathering their things because apparently “he thought he might be hungry”.

Ryan swore if he didn’t win an award for his outstanding dancing skills, he was sure to get an Oscar – there was absolutely no role on this Earth he couldn’t play, when the hardest was pretending not to love Chad Danforth and he excelled at it.

 

* * *

 

“What _is_ with you and monkeys?”

They’re slumped over the pink carpet, wasted on popcorn and chips Ryan is so gonna regret eating tomorrow and Chad chews enthusiastically on Doritos (man, if Sharpay were home, she’d have a fit) while using his incredible basketball player coordination to aim one at Ryan’s forehead, who, due to _his_ incredible dancer reflexes, dodges the spicy object of his diet’s nightmares. It could have something to do with the fact that there’s wine involved and Chad’s a little tipsy. Ryan still likes to think his reflees are just that good.

“Just answer the question, man.”

“I’d tie myself to the shark.”

Chad raises his eyebrows at him, mouth full and orange and Ryan is once again reminded of how bad he has it for the boy when the only thought that comes to mind when seeing it is somewhere between adorable and absolutely flawless. Chad Danforth is gonna kill him.

“ _Really_? You do know you’re gonna like drown if it doesn’t eat you, right?”

“I’m not swallowing a live monkey. What makes you think I’d be _able_ to, anyway? Do you know how hard it would be to catch a monkey? If it doesn’t attack me with crap or something, it’s gonna smash me against some tree. I’d rather drown in water than monkey poop.”

His dark-skinned wet dream pauses to think for a moment, then shrugs as if finding the answer acceptable, which of course it is – who in their right mind would eat a monkey? Gross.

“Alright, shoot.”

“Okay.” Ryan adjusts himself so his back is against the couch and sips whatever’s left of his wine. It’s not like he’s drunk or anything, of course, there’s not enough alcohol going on for them to go crazy and rob a bank or something and sadly, neither is it strong enough to have Chad wanna experiment and use Ryan’s ass as lab partner, but Ryan’s a rich kid in all his right and not only does it taste nice, it also makes Chad a little red on the cheeks and incoherent, which makes the underage drinking more than worth it. And he only does it occasionally, like on the weekends or when he’s being indifferent towards the image of Chad and Taylor making out against a wall. It doesn’t happen often anyway, so… Occasional. Liberal parents. Whatever. Thing is, while wine is great and all, it’s also an enemy of the better judgment he already lacks, meaning it makes Ryan wanna take advantage of the silly game they’re constantly playing and ask for something dumb like, “would you fuck me if I asked?”; question he’s not looking forward to hearing the answer to. Ryan knows the realistic response would never be as positive as the one he’s accustomed to hearing in his sleep and he’s honestly scared shitless of the possibility of Chad not being friends with him for that. ‘Cause even though Chad knows about the gay thing (who doesn’t? he’s a walking stereotype, he’s gayer than gay, for God’s sakes), Ryan knows, based on experience, that straight guys do not react well to their gay friends being helplessly in love with them.

He’s had the “I don’t want your weird glances in the locker room” talk more often than he would have liked. He can’t handle hearing it from Chad.

So instead of making a sad little attempt at initiating a porno, he smiles against the glass and says:

“Would you rather fuck a monkey or Troy?”

Chad chokes on his drink and Ryan laughs so hard he forgets the nagging pain in his chest a little.

 

* * *

 

 

“You’ve got a date with Larry.”

Ryan stops poking at his pudding and looks up. “What the fuck kind of a name is Larry?”

Sharpay ignores him (surprise, surprise) and grabs a tiny chocolate truffle from a silver bag. Wild guess says they’re from Zeke. That and there’s a huge “SE” spelled out in pink on top, which Ryan’s pretty sure is gonna become Zeke’s brand name or something when he’s a huge baker. He can’t even think of hearing him explain what the name is based on without his gag reflex acting up. And that’s saying a lot – Ryan is proud to say it never happens.

“He’s taking you to the cute little Italian restaurant downtown. Wear something nice, not the horrendous blue jacket you bought in a moment of insanity.”

“It’s a vintage jacket!” How dare she?

“It’s a sin.”

“What makes you think I even want to go out with him? Better yet, why would I ever want to go out with someone named Larry?”

“Don’t be shallow.”

“Incredible. Are you gonna accuse me of stressing over my nails too much, too?”

“Ryan.” She says and enunciates his name with such seriousness he actually sighs – not in annoyance, but sympathetic understanding and slight appreciation for the attempt, even though it’s not welcome. So not welcome, right now. He knows what’s coming next. “You need to get out more.”

“I’m out all the time.”

“Outside of the theater, Ryan.”

“I fail to understand how you think there’s better plans to be made that do not involve theater, Sharpay.”

“You’re pining.”

“I am not—“

“You’re pining and you’re remaining single because somewhere in your jock infected mind, you think Chad’s gonna love you back.”

“I’m not delusional, Sharpay.”

“Perhaps not.” Her eyes soften minimally. He notices ‘cause if there’s anyone in this planet who’s on the other side of Sharpay Evans’ almost-affectionate looks, it’s him. It makes him want to be in this conversation even less, since he knows she’s kind of right and, God, doing this because she cares. “But you’re human. And hope is not exactly something you can just tell yourself not to have, Ry.”

“Sharpay…”

“Ry. Listen, alright? Just listen. I’m not telling you to stop hanging out with him—“ Since it hadn’t worked the first five times. “— but it’s unhealthy to hold onto something that’s not gonna happen. Larry’s hot. You don’t have to marry him. Just go and have a good time. You need to understand Chad Danforth is not the only guy in the world and frankly, not even close to the best you could get.”

“Yeah, Sharpay, I get it, you hate him.”

“I do not.”

“Sure you don’t.”

“I don’t. But I’ve seen you get hurt by that type of guy enough times before to tell you he’s not worth it.”

Ryan looks down at his dessert and sighs; it’s a lost battle, anyway, so he reluctantly agrees to going. It won’t work, he doesn’t need to go and try to know, but whatever. He’ll amuse her. Sharpay claps twice and grabs her purse, leaving him to chase after Zeke or something (she’s been doing it so many times recently, he’s actually beginning to think she’s serious about it. Creepy.) and he hides himself under the white, polka-dotted Fedora, so no one can see the distressed look on his face.

Sharpay’s advices are never as bad as one would imagine. She’s usually the first person he comes to when he needs to talk and yeah, he’s had some shitty experiences with guys before, some of which involved a lot of physical pain he’d very much rather not repeat, but…

Chad’s just different. He’s sure of it.

He has to be.

 

* * *

 

Larry is nice, turns out. Ryan can’t stop thinking of Spongebob’s Larry The Lobster the entire time, even though he looks nothing _like_ Larry The Lobster (Larry’s actually kind of gorgeous, all curly blonde hair, angelic dimples and green eyes) but the date itself is actually fun. It’s not awkward and Larry doesn’t bore him to death for the two hours they sit at the restaurant, actually makes him laugh, treats him kindly.

He’s everything Sharpay knows Ryan needs in a man; he notices five minutes in how “Ryan-worthy” he seems to be. He loves theater, he plays baseball, his hair smells amazing and the tamed, sun-bathed curls are nothing like Chad’s big, bouncy ones. He’s not Chad, Sharpay made sure of it. Ryan couldn’t pretend he was, like he did to most guys and it was fun regardless. He still screamed “prince-charming”.

Ryan genuinely thinks that if not for the ridiculous name, Larry would be the perfect definition of husband material.

Which is precisely why he doesn’t ask him to come upstairs to “watch some of his favorite musicals” and ends the date with a gentle peck on the cheek. Clothes on. Friendly, polite, but not in the slightest intimate. Just thank you, I had a good time. Goodnight.

Larry’s kind – Larry’s perfect. And yeah, Ryan’s selfish, needy. It’d be nice having someone else’s hand on his dick for a change, it’s been weeks and what if he’s lost the ability to fuck anyone who doesn’t look like a copy of Chad Danforth and what if he’s never gonna get over him? What if this thing is gonna pain him forever and he’s gonna stop having sex, or getting into relationships in general, to settle for movie marathons and would-you-rathers with his _best buddy_ who’s never gonna know he’s in love with him? Is he gonna grow old and stay prisoner of that feeling forever, even when he’s watching Chad marry Taylor or some other equally amazing girl he knows deserves him? Is that it?

It’s chaotic in his head -- Ryan’s left wondering once Larry leaves (that stupid look in his emerald orbs, the look of someone who knows there’s someone else and gets it, he _hates_ that look, hates it) and since wondering is scary and wondering is the last thing he needs, but he can’t stop and tell his brain to function properly for at least five minutes, he downs two bottles of wine.

That and calls Adam, who’s hot, but not the brightest or most decent person he’s ever met. It’s not Chad but it does the job; fucking Adam doesn’t make him feel guilty.

Not even when it’s Chad’s name he’s holding back when he comes.

               

 

 


	3. I'm Sorry, Ms. Jackson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That's how his life goes to shit. Just like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after a full century of writing nothing at all, i provide you with new doses of gay! consider yourselves fully responsible for me getting back to this fic, i've been incredibly happy to read all your comments and see you've been enjoying the story. y'all are the realest and i love you like chad loves his dog. enjoy!

According to the bible, it took six whole days to come up with the Earth. If Ryan had any involvement in the writing, he'd tell you it only took a second for hell to break loose. 

And it hadn't even been a bad week for Ryan, see, after the never-to-be-mentioned incidents he very gladly erased from consciousness - him and his mother had gone shopping and Ryan was now the proud owner of a _gorgeous_ little blue scarf Sharpay would surely barf at the sight of. He hadn't seen Chad in a few days, profusely attempting to dodge any and every text message asking  _dude, whats up where r u, when r we gona hang out, bro did u die_ for the very sake of whatever was left of his will to maintain sanity. His replies were quick and dismissive: Sorry, I'm busy with rehearsal! Mom has kept me occupied! We'll go out soon, I promise-blah, blah, blah. If Chad was a tad bit smarter, he would have seen through the act by now, but he had balls for brains - no pun intended, dear God - and it was as convenient as it was endearing. Granted, Ryan absolutely _despised_ avoiding him - it was like cutting chocolate off your diet and having to pretend to be fine while all your friends breathed in cake in front you and your plate of salad. He concealed it well enough, being an actor and all, but it was tugging at his insides by the second. 

It's like he couldn't win, honestly. 

But the fact is, things weren't _that_  terrible. Ryan would even go as far as to saying he was okay. And then--

"YO, RY!"

Basketball sneakers dragged across the hall while Chad's afro blocked anything else from his vision. Ryan sighed inwardly - _so much for avoiding._

"Chad." He said, though lacking enthusiasm. 

"Look who's alive!" Chad grinned, gorgeously, although the comment was silly considering they had to see each other pretty much everyday, but he got away with being silly when he looked like _that_. "What's up, man?" 

"Just picking up my books." 

"Yeah, not my thing, but listen up: Mom's throwing this like, party at my house and you're coming."

Ryan frowned. "Your _mom_ is throwing a party?" 

"Well, it's not like a _party_ party, there won't be anyone cool there aside from you," _Easy, heart. Easy._ "and Troy, maybe, if I can get him off Gabriela for a whole night." 

"I think you might have a better chance inviting her." 

Chad pursed his lips and squinted, seizing the suggestion. "Yeah, maybe you're right. But yeah, so it's some baby shower thing for aunt Marion and I'm gonna die if I have to get through it alone, so come by at around 7 and don't eat anything, 'cause mom's cooking." 

"I--" Ryan began to say but Chad was already waving up a peace sign and walking off. Pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath, he thought to himself:  _It's not like you haven't been there before. It won't kill you to get through a stranger's baby shower. And Chad's mom cooks a mean meal._ Good enough. Obviously, he wasn't accepting for Chad, but for the perspective of a wonderful dinner. 

That's what it was. 

Satisfied enough with _that_ bullshit, he fixed his lilac Fedora, grabbed a book and walked to class. 

 

* * *

 

Ever knock out a glass off the table and helplessly watch it make it's way to the ground, knowing there's nothing you can do to stop it from crashing? You almost see it all go down in slow-motion, when in reality the whole process probably took about two seconds.

That's how Ryan's life goes to shit. Just like that.

Chad's house was _packed,_ like a proper movie family barbecue type of thing, all cousins and uncles gathered up screaming "CHAD, LOOK HOW BIG YOU'VE GOTTEN!" and Ryan suddenly was a tad happier to have come, knowing he was there to physically witness Chad Danforth blush like a school girl. His mother had been equally happy to see him, thanking him with kisses at the cake he'd made a point of buying. Troy, after all, had showed up - with Gabriella - and looked like he belonged amongst the cousins just as much, stuffing his face with turkey legs. He'd gotten a pretty little wave from Gabriella, on his arm, who was dressed nicely in a white, lacy dress and watching Troy breathe in his food with an adoring look on her face. God, Ryan could only hope he didn't look at Chad like that. Embarrassing. 

"Guys, this is Ryan, Ry, this is..." 

Tiana, Bill, Parker, Louise, Mattie, Cousin Doug, Carmen, May, Fred - and the list went on. It was almost easy to feel like a boyfriend being introduced to the family, with Chad dragging him all around the house, but that seemed to be the only luxury Ryan Evans could not afford. A sip to the lemonade Aunt Carmen had made, washing down the lump of his throat and the show goes on. 

Chad's dog, Shaq - if you can believe it - was apparently somewhere in the backyard and Ryan couldn't quite fathom the importance of meeting the pet, but apparently it was of critical importance to Chad since he made a point of telling Ryan to wait while he got him out. " _He's my best friend and I want you to meet him."_

_"I thought your best friend was Troy."_

_"What he doesn't know won't hurt him, Evans."_

And so Ryan waited, occasionally and every here and there talking to a family member whose name he had quite immediately forgotten. Luckily, everyone in the Danforth tree seemed to be just as charismatic as the next one, so Ryan wasn't left feeling uncomfortable and standing there like an outcast. 

"Ryan!" Gabriella sounded, from behind him, apparently freed from the loving arms of her boyfriend. "Gabby, how are you? You look great!"

She blushed, tugging at the hem of the dress. "Thank you! My mother helped me pick it for the occasion. You don't think it's a bit much?"

"Gabriella, you're asking the wrong person." He responded, making a show of tipping his hat and winking, which caused the brunette to laugh gleefully. "Alright, alright, that is true. But you look good yourself."

"Don't I know it? Where's your man hiding? Are we sure he's not watching us from a bush?" Ryan joked, no bitterness in his tone. To this day, the mere thought of Troy having his masculinity threatened by Ryan, of all people, made him laugh. 

"Ah, he went to look for more turkey legs. I think he's had about six so far."

"Lord, please don't let him make a habit out of this. That athlete body will not last to his 50s if he continues to eat like a pig."

She laughed, nodding. "I'll keep it under control. What about you?"

"What about me?" Aunt Carmen was truly exceptional at making lemonade, he thought absent-mindedly, sipping at the leftover juice. 

"Where's _your_ man?" 

Ryan choked on his drink. "What?"

"Chad, where has he gone?"

"Ch-I don't... Chad and I aren't-"

Gabriella laughed, once more, waving her hands before her. "No, no, I know. It was a joke, sorry."

Still coughing a bit, Ryan attempted to conceal his growing panic. Of course, _of course_ she meant it as a joke. He was a fucking fool for even considering otherwise. Grabbing a napkin from a nearby table, Ryan cleaned off the unattractive remains of lemonade off his chin. "He went to grab his dog from the backyard." 

She frowned, tilting her head to the side. "Is that right? I was just there and didn't see him. I didn't know Chad had a dog, either. You said he keeps him in the backyard?" 

"According to Chad, yeah."

"Oh, that's strange. I haven't seen him. Maybe they're already out, have you checked?" 

"Nope. I've been standing here for awhile and haven't seen him come out."

"Oh... That's strange."

Ryan laughed, patting Gabriella's shoulder gently. As messy as her jock of a boyfriend was, Gabriella was sure to make a good wife, caring little thing she was. "Don't burst a vein over it, Gabby. I'm sure he's alive and well." 

"Ah," she giggled, "I know, I know. Well, I'm gonna look for Troy to make sure he hasn't overdosed on chicken."

"You do that." 

He watched her walk off and glanced around, deciding to take a peek at the backyard in attempts to find Chad camouflaged in a bush or something of the sort. It had been quite awhile since he'd first left, which knowing him, probably meant he was off trying to plan some way to scare Ryan into the next century. 

Gabriella, however, seemed to be right on that one; Chad wasn't anywhere to be seen and neither was a dog. Frowning, Ryan excused his way through the wave of Danforths and into the house, only to find Troy coming down the stairs and no sight of Chad or Gabriella at that. 

"Troy? Gabriella's looking for you."

"Yeah, I know." He responded, though his tone was strangely off. Ryan frowned. It was true that Troy had never been his biggest fan, but they'd stopped antagonizing each other awhile ago. It wasn't like him to be so blatantly dismissive, out of nowhere. "Is everything alright? Do you know where Chad is?"

Troy winced - almost imperceptibly to the untrained eye, but Ryan caught it, familiar that he was with body language. His heart was beating faster now. That wasn't a good reaction. "Troy?"

"Yeah, I don't know where he went, sorry, Ryan. Where did you say Gabby was?"

"I... I think she's in the kitchen." 

"Thanks." The boy walked past him, with not another word and Ryan began to feel uncomfortable. Where was Chad? Was Chad okay? Was Gabriella right to worry and he was dead after all? How does one even die in the middle of a baby shower, _at his own home_ , in the span of 25 minutes? 

 _Get a hold of yourself, Evans._ He thought, attempting some breathing exercises. The hell Troy didn't know where Chad was. Ryan was going to be assertive and get some answers, even if it meant getting back on Troy's bad side. 

Determined, he followed Bolton to the kitchen, stopping only when he heard the muffled sounds of Gabriella's voice, seemingly distressed:

"Oh my God... When?"

"He's been off for weeks now and was sick the entire morning. I guess he just didn't resist through the day."

Ryan's eyes widened. _What?_  

 _"_ Oh, my... Is Chad alright?"

"He's... Pretty bad, but who wouldn't be?"

"I feel terrible... Is he upstairs?"

"Yeah, but he said he wanted to be left alone, so I just kind of bounced. I'm checking up on him soon, though."

"Wow, that's crazy. How does that even happen?"

"I know. And just now. Like, it couldn't be a worse moment to have your dog die."

Ryan's heart stopped. 

_Oh. Oh, Chad. Shit._

Having heard enough, he sprinted upstairs, already used to the surroundings to finding Chad's room was a fast ordeal. He opened the door just to find Chad, crouched on the edge of his bed, with his face on his hands and his shoulders shaking.

Needless to say, Ryan had never expected to see Chad cry. 

It's not like he didn't think him capable of the former, obviously. Chad was only human. But from the moment they'd met, to the moment they became anything close to friends, to becoming friends, 'till _now_ , Ryan had never caught a glimpse of him crying. So seeing it now was not only disarming - it was absolutely heart breaking. 

Unsure what to say, Ryan closed the door behind him, walking up to the boy. 

"Chad?"

No answer.

Was it insensitive to insist? Should he leave, should he stay, should he offer his shoulder to cry on? Where the hell was the guide book on dealing with crying jocks? 

Ryan took a deep breath and settled for the latter, sitting down gently next to Chad's side and reaching out to rub his back. His _entire_ body was shaking now, with growing sobs and the more he cried, the less Ryan knew what to do. Hell, he kind of wanted to cry himself. 

Having no idea where on _Earth_ he'd gotten the courage to say that, Ryan found himself spurting out: "I'm sorry, baby."

Before he could slap a hand over his mouth in shock at the words, though, Chad sucked in a loud sob and practically tackled Ryan into the bed, crying into his chest. The surprise that was still there didn't stop his arms from wrapping around the taller man's frame, offering some sort of comfort - cradling him like a mother her child. He rubbed his hair, whispered nonsensical things and shushed him the best he could, when Chad began whimpering:

"H-he d-died and I-I-I was-s-sn't e-even t-there, Ry. H-he died a-alone. He d-died alone, Ry."

"Shhh, shhh, honey."

"H-he w-was my b-be..." He choked on the words, staining Ryan's shirt with nonstop tears.

Everything after that happened really fast. 

According to the bible, it took six whole days to come up with the Earth. It only took Ryan a second to grab at Chad's swollen, wet face and press a kiss to his trembling lips. 

It took Troy a second to open the door, a second for Chad to register what was going on and a second for his fist to come in contact with Ryan's cheek. 

Just like that. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos if you could catch the reference to the title in this chapter


End file.
